Unearthing Bicharracosaurus dionidei
A new dinosaur species – Bicharracosaurus dionidei – was discovered in Argentina’s Chubut province by a local farmer and displayed to the public at the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum in Trelew.
Footage filmed on Thursday shows the remains of a long-necked dinosaur that lived in Patagonia around 160 million years ago, during the Jurassic period. The fossils include parts of the spine, dorsal ribs and neck.
Size and Characteristics of the Species
Researchers say the adult specimen was around 20 metres long and weighed about 13 tonnes, placing it among the large sauropods of its time.
The remains were found by Dionide Mesa, a resident who spotted them while riding through the countryside on horseback and reported them to researchers at the Egidio Feruglio Paleontological Museum.
Naming and Scientific Importance
MEF researcher Jose Luis Carballido said the name ‘dionidei’ honours Mesa, while ‘bicharraco,’ which Mesa used for his fossil findings, was combined with the Greek ‘saurus,’ meaning lizard, to name the new species.
“Bicharracosaurus represents a new species from the Late Jurassic. The Jurassic period we have here in Patagonia, in the province of Chubut, is quite unique. In fact, it is unique in South America and one of the few places in the world where this moment in time is represented,” explained Carballido.
He also added that the finding will help fill a gap in the Late Jurassic record and offer new insights into how these animals spread and evolved.
“Identifying a new species gives us a great deal of information about the diversity and evolution of this group of herbivorous dinosaurs,” he added.
Scientists say the study of Bicharracosaurus dionidei could help expand knowledge of Jurassic ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere and the diversity of sauropod dinosaurs in Patagonia, one of the world’s richest fossil regions.
Article by Viory
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